The Calm Before The Storm  Elena's Part
by simply-aly
Summary: My take on Elena's life before the accident. A rekindling romance and a double date between Matt & Elena and Tyler & Caroline have far reaching consequences.  My part in the CBtS group fic on LJ.


Elena walks past Matt and Tyler playing basketball in the school courtyard before school and sighs. Things have been cooling off between them for the last few weeks and she's been worried that he's falling out of love with her.

She sees Caroline and Bonnie sitting on the picnic table and talking with each other, facing the two boys and makes her way over to them. "Your boyfriend's wiping the floor with Tyler," her friend fills her in with a knowing glance.

Elena catches Caroline's eyes and when Caroline gestures toward them, Elena nods. She waits until Matt scores again and smiles widely as she starts clapping.

Tyler grabs the ball and grins at Matt. "Go get your girl," she hears him say.

Matt walks over to her and gives her a hug and she laughs because it's starting to feel like it used to again.

-x-

After third period English, Elena is grabbing her calculator and her advanced algebra book for her next class when all of a sudden there is a hand over her eyes and a voice whispering in her ear. "Guess who?"

Elena laughs and leans into her boyfriend as she reaches behind her to remove his hand. "How many times have I told you not to do that?" she scolds him playfully while holding his hand.

He kisses her cheek in response and wraps his other hand around her, in the process revealing a handful of roses. "Let's go out tonight," he says.

"You're supposed to _ask_ me out, Mr. Perfect Boyfriend, not semi-command it," she chastises, turning around in his arms.

Matt rolls his eyes. "Well, then, Miss Perfect Girlfriend, will you go out with me tonight?"

Elena smiles brightly and kisses him. "Yes," she says before pushing him away. "Now, I'm going to be late for algebra if you don't let me go!"

-x-

"You're so lucky, Elena," Caroline announces dramatically, her eyes planted firmly on the roses Elena has carried to algebra and chemistry and now to lunch. "I haven't even been on a date since—"

With a roll of their eyes, Bonnie and Elena take over Caroline's speech, having heard it three times already since they sat at their lunch table, "last spring when Jimmy Reed took you bowling and spilled soda all over your new outfit. Yes, we heard you."

Caroline only looks partially affronted. "Well, I'm just saying…. I wish I had a boyfriend like you. Matt's just so sweet; I mean, have you ever heard of something so romantic happening to anyone else in Mystic Falls?"

Bonnie shrugs. "Girl has a point there, Elena. You and Matt are absolutely perfect together."

Caroline perks up instantly and Elena giggles at her animated friend. "Yes, Caroline?"

"I just had the most perfect idea! Maybe you could ask Matt to set me up with one of his friends and we could double tonight."

Elena takes a deep breath. This was supposed to be her and Matt's night to reconnect. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah! It doesn't have to be some big thing…maybe dinner at the Grill, some pool between couples and a late movie."

Caroline just looks so hopeful that Elena sighs before putting on a smile. "Okay, I'll ask."

-x-

"It's family night, Elena, you know better than to schedule things on family night," her mother chastises as she washes dishes in the sink before rinsing them and handing them to Elena.

Elena dries the plate her mother just handed her and puts it away as she pleads. "I'm sorry, Mom, but he was being all sweet and romantic and he gave me flowers! And then at lunch, Caroline just looked so hopeful and she has been so down lately after that whole thing with Jimmy Reed. I _couldn't_ say no. Just this once, I promise I will never bail on family night ever again, but this is important!"

Miranda sighs and relents. "Just this once, and you're the one who has to explain it to your father!"

Elena squeals and hugs her mother. "I love you, I love you, thank you so much!"

-x-

Caroline comes over later and they get ready together and Caroline drives them both to the Grill.

"How did Matt react to the news? I mean, I know he agreed, obviously, but was he disappointed?" Caroline asks as she turns into the parking lot.

Elena shrugs as she unbuckles. "He didn't seem all that disappointed, actually. Thought it was a great idea and said that he had the perfect guy in mind."

Caroline grins. "Did he tell you who? Can you tell me?"

Elena shakes her head. "Wouldn't say. He told me he wanted it to be a surprise.

"Sometimes, surprises are overrated."

Elena laughs. "He's just inside the door."

The walk quickly to the restaurant and look around for their dates.

"Tyler Lockwood?" a frustrated Caroline whispers in Elena's ear when they spot the pair of guys already sitting at a booth. "Of all the guys he could have chosen, your boyfriend picks Tyler-freaking-Lockwood?"

"Give him a chance, Care," Elena says sagely as they walk to the table before sliding in to sit next to her boyfriend.

The waitress, apparently having been informed by Matt or Tyler that they were a party of four, notices their arrival and comes up to them to take their drink orders. Elena recognizes the waitress immediately as Trisha Bradley, she's a senior this year and is graduating in a few weeks.

Elena smiles at her after ordering her Pepsi and asks her what her plans are following graduation. Trisha smiles at the question. "I'm heading down to Tallahassee this summer to go to FSU," she answers before fetching their drinks.

Elena watches Caroline watch Tyler as Trisha walks away and smiles at Caroline's smile when the girls both notice that Tyler pays no attention to the older girl.

-x-

After a dinner that goes surprisingly well, and three games of pool in which Caroline and Tyler take two of the three wins, Tyler suggests an alternative to the late-night movie. "A guy I know is throwing a party in the woods near Wickery Bridge. We could hang there for a bit."

Caroline nods in favor of this idea and Matt looks pretty into it himself but, ever the dutiful boyfriend, he looks over to her. "What do you say, Elena?"

Elena bites her lip. "What the hell? We only live once right?"

-x-

**Author's Note**: This is part of a group challenge at LJ. To see the full co-written fic and accompanying graphics, click the link in my profile.


End file.
